Substitute teacher fired after singing Toxic by Britney Spears in class

The teacher, who was a substitute, allegedly arrived at Bowie High School in Austin, Texas, on Friday armed with a karaoke machine and disco lights.

A video obtained by KXAN-TV showed the teacher singing the 2003 pop song in front of students, who apparently filmed the surprise lesson in karaoke.

He was seen singing lyrics including “With a taste of your lips, I’m on a ride. You’re toxic, I’m slippin’ under”.

The song is from Britney Spears’s fourth studio album In The Zone, and is among her most streamed singles globally.

It also sold roughly 100,000 copies in its week in the US.

A spokesperson for Austin Independent School District (AISD) told KXAN-TV, an Austin-based news station, that the teacher was dismissed and “relieved of his duties” for not following conduct and rules for staff.

“I’ve heard worse Britney Spears covers, but the lights are a bit much,” the spokesperson reportedly said, referring to the disco lighting display.

AISD went on to say that “all processes were followed” and that the substitute teacher was checked in via the school’s front office, and was dismissed by Friday afternoon.

“It was simply a case of a substitute not following our practices,” the AISD spokesperson said.

The substitute teacher allegedly went on to teach at another Austin high school after the karaoke lesson, although it remains unclear why he had the karaoke machine and disco lights.

The Independent has approached AISD for further comment.